The change in the mandate of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Pest Management Regulatory Agency, now called the Pesticides Regulatory Directorate, PRD, to incorporate economic variables in their decision-making has yet to be completed. It was announced again in this week's Liberal credit-card economic update that their mandates would change to consider food security and the cost of food.
There seems to be push-back from your department on moving forward with this mandate change. Your VP of policy and programs, Robert Ianiro, was asked point-blank by MP John Barlow at the AGRI committee whether the department was changing its mandate to meet the promises made by the government, and he said, “The change isn't required”.
When will the CFIA and the PMRA mandates be changed to consider food security and the cost of food in their decision-making?